Shapeoko CO2 Laser (First Attempt):

Projects
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This is my first attempt from my side to upgrade my Shapeoko machine to use more powerful cutting tool like CO2 laser, so am pleased to share it with you all.
i didn’t prepare the instruction document yet but shortly i’ll share it here, I used chine’s components: 52mm focus lenses and two mirrors (45$) , 40w laser tube (98$) and power supply to support 40w (83$) and finally air pump 80watt

Also i created 3D max script to convert paths into Gcode, you will find it useful for both Laser cut and Milling as it generated the 3d paths for the milling purpose.

Resulted Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF5HAF0fg6M
Gethub Source file for the scripts: GitHub - HMI1973/Shapeoko-3d-max-script: convert 3d object to gcode

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people are going to say it isn’t safe

they will be right, but who cares, it is a great addition.

seriously though, wear glasses :slight_smile:

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where do get a 40w laser tube for 98.00?

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For an extra $50.00, you can buy a cheap Chinese laser that is enclosed and “somewhat” safer.

As for software, try laserweb3. It is optimized for laser but can also be used for CNC and blade knife.